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Everton could be preparing for a summer transfer market battle, as a new target emerges for Sean Dyche to challenge for.

The Blues have been linked with a host of talent already this window, with the side hoping to move away from their recent status of being a club on the fence between the Premier League and Championship.

Dyche led the Toffees to safety in the final game of the 2022/23 season, and with the opportunity there to strengthen this summer, the club could still see some new arrivals before the window shuts.

Who could Everton sign this summer?

It’s clear that the Blues are hoping to bolster their front line this window, with recent links to forward’s Wilfried Gnonto and Che Adams, who could both be handed an escape from the Championship.

Read the latest Everton transfer news HERE…

Another attacking talent has emerged as a potential target for Everton, with Fabrizio Romano naming Porto starlet Goncalo Borges as a player being eyed on Merseyside last week.

The renowned journalist stated that both the Toffees and West Ham are showing interest in the 22-year-old, who could be on the move this summer away from his home nation.

How good is Goncalo Borges?

Representing Porto’s B team, the intricate wide player is deployable on both the left and right side, providing a significant threat in the final third for his energetic approach to play from the flank.

Identified for his pace and efforts in possession by talent scout Jacek Kulig, as well as being likened to Bayern Munich sensation Serge Gnabry for his style, the youngster was once named by Kulig as part of the “superb” U19 Porto side that won the UEFA Youth League.

It’s little surprise that the Lisbon-born talent has generated interest from the Premier League, with him netting five goals and registering two assists in 17 league appearances for the B team last term.

For Everton, the £1.7m -rated winger could add significant strength to Dyche’s side, in areas that are expected to change this summer, with the future of Demarai Gray a continuing doubt.

In July, journalist Rob Dorsett claimed that Fulham had reached an agreement to sign the Jamaican from Everton, adding that Dyche wouldn’t sanction the move until the Blues had recruited a sufficient replacement.

The 27-year-old has scored just nine goals in the Premier League since his arrival at Goodison Park in 2021 and is identified as one of the more replaceable figures in Dyche’s set-up due to his inconsistencies.

By signing Borges, therefore, the Englishman could finally replace the former Leicester City winger, with a young talent that has the potential to reach new heights in the English top-flight in what could be an exciting individual challenge.

Described by scouting site Total Football Analysis as having a ‘very direct approach to dribbling’, the 22-year-old could be the ideal replacement for Gray, who excels in similar attributes.

One area of Gray’s play that has been inconsistent at Goodison is his end product in the final third, which Dyche could find relief in through the reported target, who has been praised for his strengths in playing ‘excellent balls into the area’.

With West Ham also eyeing the talent, Everton should strike fast if they are to capture the youngster, who could be a strong signing for the Toffees.

Manchester United are still extremely active in the transfer market during the dying days and weeks.

Now, an update on a player's future could spark another big-money move for the Red Devils.

Who do Man United want to sign?

It was reported on Wednesday by Spanish news outlet AS that Ansu Fati is open on moving away from Barcelona this summer, as he reportedly feels that he is not trusted in his role at the club and has now ordered his representatives to find him a new club.

Following up from that revelation, the Daily Mail has revealed that Manchester United have been put on red alert alongside fellow Premier League clubs Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, all of which have expressed an interest in snapping up the forward's signature.

Read the latest Man United transfer news HERE…

How good is Ansu Fati?

There is no doubt that Erik ten Hag is keen to bolster the quality and depth in his squad as he leads his Man United side into not only their domestic challenges but their Champions League campaign, where there will be high hopes of a good run on the elite European stage.

As a result, the signing of Fati could be a great way to inject some more Champions League experience and quality in his forward line, providing the Dutch coach with a top young player who could be a huge upgrade on Antony.

Over 36 La Liga appearances last season, the 20-year-old scored seven goals, registered three assists, tallied up an 85% pass completion rate and successfully completed 52% of his dribbles, despite making only 12 starts in Xavi's highly-competitive forward line.

Not only that, the Spain international – once hailed a "difference-maker" by football talent scout Jacek Kulig – is one of the hottest young prospects across the top five European leagues per 90 minutes played – ranking in the top 10% of his positional peers for shots on goal, pass completion, touches and progressive passes received, as per FBref.

When comparing Fati's output with Antony's last season, the Barcelona whiz comfortably outperformed his position competitor in a number of key attacking attributes, suggesting he would be a big upgrade for United.

Those metrics included goal contributions (10 v 9), shots on goal per 90 (3.94 v 3.68), pass completion (83.6% v 79.1%), goal-creating actions per 90 (0.45 v 0.41) and successful take-ons (48.9% v 42.7%). Antony has had the tendency to blow hot and cold since arriving in England but Fati is a player who has been registering impressive attacking numbers since he was a teenager.

Whilst the Barca gem is predominantly a left winger, the Bissau-born forward is experienced in playing across the front three having played in both the centre-forward and right-back roles, something that would be a valuable asset to the Man United boss as he aims to discover his best front three.

It has been reported that Barcelona will command a fee of around €70m (£60m) to part ways with their youth prospect, however, with the player pushing for a move away, Man United could strike up a deal that is considerably lower than that if they get desperate.

With that being said, the signing of Fati would be a major coup for Man United as under Ten Hag he could continue to develop and polish his talent and strengths to become the future of the forward line at Old Trafford.

Alastair Cook and Joe Root fell cheaply but there were half-centuries for four of the top six on England’s first day of tour action

George Dobell in Perth04-Nov-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsIt didn’t take long for any thought that England might ease their way into the Ashes tour to be dispelled. Just two balls into the first game, Alastair Cook had gone for a duck.It was Cook’s misfortune to receive the delivery of the day. Drawn into a tentative, indeterminate prod at a delivery angled across him from the impressive Nathan Coulter-Nile, Cook was undone by both the pace of the ball and that bounce for which Australian pitches – and Perth in particular – are known. It meant that Cook has been dismissed three times from his last four deliveries in games here following his first-ball second innings dismissal in the Ashes Test of 2013-14.”He just played at one he shouldn’t have,” Coulter-Nile said. “He usually smashes me so it was good to get him.”These things happen, of course. And while the average age of this Western Australian side is just 22, Coulter-Nile is a terrific bowler who, but for injuries, could well have played Test cricket. Aged 30, he may yet. He got through 16 overs, hardly bowled a poor delivery and, at times, generated sharp pace. “The body feels surprisingly good,” he said afterwards.But if England are to have any chance in this Ashes series, it is surely vital for the experienced pair of Cook and Joe Root to score heavily. So it would have been mildly disconcerting for England to lose both cheaply here.Root was probably unfortunate. Certainly he didn’t think he had edged the ball that dismissed him – replays suggested it hit his back thigh though it was unclear whether there may have been some inside edge on it first – and he has plenty of opportunities to find form before the first Test.Cook does, too. But he has an intriguing record in Ashes series. This will be his fourth in Australia and, while he averaged 127.66 in 2010-11, his numbers were 24.60 in 2013-14 and 27.60 in 2006-07. Only once in his three series in England has he averaged over 30, too.Any concerns that England could be embarrassed by this young Western Australia side were allayed by a second-wicket stand of 153 between Mark Stoneman and James Vince. Stoneman, in particular, was impressive. He looked unflustered by Coulter-Nile’s excellent opening spell and subsequently unveiled fluent strokes off front and back foot on the way to a 64-ball half-century.”Obviously it wasn’t Test-level bowling,” Stoneman said. “And there are far tougher tests ahead. But it was good to spend some time out there. It helps you settle in to a tour and make sure you can deal with any technical or mental things you may have going on.”We were clinical in the way we did things. You’d get a few down the leg-side and then one right on the money so you had to concentrate. We’re pretty happy with that as a first day.”Vince was less convincing. He was dropped three times – on 47 and 63 he edged attempted cuts only to see Coulter-Nile, at first slip, put down the chances, while on 67 he was dropped by Kyle Gardiner at midwicket off a full-bloodied pull – and eventually flicked one to midwicket. He puts away the bad ball with a style granted to few – some of his cuts and cover drives here were simply beautiful – but it is unthinkable he will be given so many chances in an Ashes Test.The England pair were treated to a fair few bad balls in that first session. Eight bowlers, three of them spinners, were called into the attack before lunch (by which time England had moved to 131 for 1) as a combination or nerves and inexperience produced a smorgasbord of long-hops and full tosses that raised questions as to the usefulness of this match as an exercise. It was like preparing for a fight with Wladimir Klitschko by playing Twister with Ronnie Corbett. As Coulter-Nile put it: “They faced a lot of bowling they won’t in Test cricket.”They tightened up markedly after lunch. Stoneman, who had survived a tough chance in the gully off Aaron Hardie on 54, pushed at a decent ball from Lance Morris and edged to slip, while Root was given few opportunities when he came to the wicket. “Hardie was probably the only one to hit a good line and length consistently,” Coulter-Nile said. “I guess they’ve found out what they need to do if they want to go to the next step in the game.”Perhaps the most impressive batting of the day came from Dawid Malan. Having drilled his first delivery – the first he had ever faced in Australia – through mid-off for four, he looked fluent on front and back foot and as tight outside off stump as anyone.With Gary Ballance, his rival for the No. 5 position, he added 104 for England’s fifth-wicket before both were retired to provide opportunities for other batsmen. But while Ballance was generally sound, withstanding something of a barrage from Coulter-Nile, he too gave a chance when edging to second slip on 36.That provided just enough time for Jonny Bairstow – who looks in fine form – to come in and make an increasingly dominant 36 not out.So, while England would have wanted Cook and Root to enjoy more time at the crease, they will have been encouraged by the fact that four less heralded members of the batting line-up made half-centuries.

Manchester United have reportedly reignited their interest in Bayern Munich midfielder Ryan Gravenberch, and they appear to have the advantage over one Premier League rival when it comes to a potential transfer.

What’s the latest Man United transfer news?

The Red Devils have been busy so far this summer with big-money moves for Mason Mount, Andre Onana and Rasmus Hojlund. There could be further business before the September 1 deadline, though, however, that may depend on any Old Trafford departures.

A new midfielder could be on the cards should a number of players move on, with Sofyan Amrabat and Amadou Onana two players heavily linked with a move to Erik ten Hag’s side.

Read the latest Man United transfer news HERE…

Another player who has been of interest earlier in the year is Gravenberch, and it looks as if United could be back in for the 21-year-old.

According to Foot Mercato, Man United, alongside rivals Liverpool, ‘have reactivated the track leading to the Dutch international’. The report claims that no offer has been made so far, however, Gravenberch, should he leave Munich, would prefer a move to Old Trafford over Anfield.

Who is Ryan Gravenberch?

Gravenberch can play as a central or holding midfielder and is under contract at the Allianz Arena until 2027. The Netherlands U21 international left Ajax for Bayern Munich just last year and has made 33 appearances for the Bundesliga champions.

Prior to that, Gravenberch, on £152,000-a-week, made more than 100 appearances for Ajax so has played plenty of first team football early into his career.

He has also came in for praise from former Bayern boss Julian Nagelsmann, who suggested last year that Gravenberch was "better than most other footballers", saying:

“He has my complete confidence. He also knows exactly what he needs to fit our style of play perfectly. He has everything a footballer needs. He has a fantastic dribble and can play out under the pressure.

“Ryan is better than most other footballers in Europe his age. You must have patience. This is Bayern Munich. You have to be better than the other players because there is no reason for me not to field the best."

Therefore, should Man United miss out on Amrabat or Onana, then perhaps a move for Gravenberch could be one to watch and a potential shrewd transfer by Old Trafford chiefs.

You’d expect he’ll only get better with age, and he has already worked under Ten Hag in the Netherlands, with all of his Ajax appearances coming under the United manager.

The 6ft 2 midfielder has been compared to Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham over the past 12 months, as per FBref, and statistically, has also impressed.

Compared to midfielders, Gravenberch has ranked in the top 10% for tackles in midfield and attacking zones, shot-creating actions and long pass completion, showing his ability in a number of areas. He also ranks highly for carries into the final third and progressive passes received, so Ten Hag may view the midfielder as an ideal addition to challenge the likes of Casemiro, Mason Mount and Christian Eriksen, making this one to watch.

The medium-pacers helped pull things back for Comilla Victorians after Chittagong had put on 80 in eight overs, before Jos Buttler and Marlon Samuels helped them chase 144

The Report by Mohammad Isam07-Nov-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsDwayne Bravo’s celebrations were catchy as ever•Randy Brooks – CPL T20 / GettyComilla Victorians inflicted a collapse on Chittagong Vikings, before an efficient chase took them to an eight-wicket win. Mohammad Saifuddin and Dwayne Bravo starred with the ball for Comilla, before Jos Buttler scored 48 to help them chase 144.Chittagong would rue giving away a good start, having reached 91 for 1 in the 10th over, but hardly making any noise in the final half of the innings – making only 52 runs and losing six wickets.After Buttler had set up Comilla’s chase, Marlon Samuels and Imrul Kayes finished the job with efficiency as the Chittagong bowlers couldn’t quite force the issue.Soumya’s reverse-sweep headlines fast startLuke Ronchi had struck a six off the first ball of the third over but when Soumya timed his reverse-sweep to perfection, Comilla knew they were in trouble. The left-hander had been in woeful form for much of Bangladesh’s tour of South Africa, except for the two T20Is at the end.The switch-hit was followed by Ronchi striking Al-Amin Hossain for consecutive fours in the next over. He then went on to hit twin sixes off Dwayne Bravo, the first one a fantastic piece of timing despite being beaten by the slower ball. Soumya struck two more fours in the sixth over before Ronchi fell for 40 in the same over, having struck three sixes and four fours in his 21-ball knock.Dilshan Munaweera tried to keep up the pace while Comilla also erred in the field. Having dropped Ronchi when he was on nine in the second over, Al-Amin’s movement at deep midwicket was astounding as he didn’t get under a Soumya mis-hit. He signalled that it was the sun but he was wearing a cap; Bravo, the bowler, was unhappy. Chittagong reached 91 for 1 after 10 overs, with one eye on a 200-plus score.A stuttering collapseComilla’s fightback began in the 12th over, when Munaweera needlessly scooped one to Marlon Samuels at short fine leg. Saifuddin then got into the game with two consecutive wickets in the 14th over. Sarkar missed a paddle sweep to be bowled before Anamul Haque was caught at long-on for three. After three more wickets fell, Sikandar Raza struck two fours in the last over – there were three in the last 10 overs – to take them past the 140-mark.Buttler gets underwayLiton Das and Jos Buttler let fly from the second over of the 144-run chase, hitting a flurry of fours and sixes. Liton struck Shuvo for a four through the covers and a swept six over fine-leg. Taskin Ahmed was hit through point over mid-on for a four and six respectively by Buttler. Sunzamul Islam was given the triple treatment – a four through midwicket, a blast over long-on for a six and a chip over midwicket for another four.Subashis Roy trapped Liton leg-before in the fifth over, after which Buttler and Imrul Kayes added 57 runs for the second wicket. Buttler was caught behind off Subashis too, after making a 42-ball 48 with three fours and two sixes.A well-orchestrated finishSamuels and Kayes, didn’t allow any more hiccups in the Comilla chase, adding the remaining 44 runs in just 3.4 overs. Samuels struck four boundaries and a six in his unbeaten 18-ball 35, while Kayes struck a four and a six in his 31-ball 33. Comilla won with 16 balls to spare.What they said”Sometimes it happens when you have 80-odd runs and you are going ten an over, you starting thinking ahead to 200-plus. I think in the coming games we need to be very careful about that in the middle overs, even if we are playing a T20 game. We need to be sensible.”

After South Australia put up 5 for 339 in 48 overs, Daniel Worrall helped shut out Victoria for 168 with figures of 5 for 62

The Report by Daniel Brettig19-Oct-2017
ScorecardJake Weatherald struck his second century of the tournament•Getty ImagesSouth Australia’s openers Jake Weatherald and Alex Carey set the Redbacks on course for a vast elimination playoff victory over Victoria to set up a domestic limited-overs final against Western Australia at Bellerive Oval in Hobart on Saturday.After Victoria captain Peter Handscomb sent South Australia in to bat, Weatherald and Carey were not separated until the 37th over, by which time they had added 212 and laid the platform for a mighty total. Thanks to the free swinging of Travis Head, Tom Cooper and Alex Ross, South Australia posted 339 after a rain delay reduced the game to 48 overs each. Victoria’s target swelled to 345 via Duckworth Lewis Stern calculations.Christian penalised

Daniel Christian, the Victoria allrounder, was fined 50% of his match fee for showing “serious dissent” against the umpire in the elimination play-off against South Australia. It was his first offence over the past 18 months and it occurred as he was bowling his final over in the match. Umpire Sam Nojagski had deemed one of those deliveries as a wide and a visibly upset Christian immediately questioned it. At the end of the match, however, he accepted the match referee’s sanction that he was out of line.

In response, Victoria were off-balance from the moment Daniel Worrall bowled Aaron Finch in the first over of the innings. They never seriously threatened to chase down the target as only Travis Dean made it past 30 – even then by a single run. Worrall finished with five wickets, and was aided by a trio of victims for Adam Zampa, back in the team after the India tour.Weatherald and Carey have proven a productive partnership for South Australia in the tournament, and were quickly into stride against Victoria. Though Weatherald did give up a chance, the pair did the ideal job of blunting the two new white balls and then scoring freely in preparation for a concerted later attack on the Victorian bowlers.Carey, who has been mentioned as a possible Australian wicketkeeper of the future, was dismissed prior to reaching three figures for his state for the first time, but Weatherald went on to his second hundred of the tournament, leaving plenty of room for the South Australian middle order to accelerate. They did so to the tune of 117 runs from the final 48 balls of the innings, primarily via Tom Cooper, who galloped to 50 from 22 balls – equalling his fellow squad member Jake Lehmann’s effort in the same tournament.Sizing up their tall target, Victoria were granted a wild first-up wide from Worrall to Marcus Harris, but he compensated with a nip-backer to perforate Finch’s first-ball forward push. Wickets tumbled quickly thereafter, and when Glenn Maxwell was lbw sweeping at Zampa, Victoria had slipped to 5 for 85. Worrall came back to help mop up any remaining resistance, sending South Australia into their second tournament final in three seasons.

Majority shareholder Dermot Desmond and the rest of the Celtic board have backed Brendan Rodgers throughout the summer transfer window so far.

Who have Celtic signed?

The Hoops have made five new additions to the first-team squad; including Marco Tilio, Odin Thiago Holm, Hyun-jun Yang, Hyeok-kyu Kwon, and Maik Nawrocki.

These moves may have been funded by the sale of Portuguese dynamo Jota. He moved to Saudi Arabian side Al Ittihad in a reported £25m deal last month.

There could be more signings on the way for the Scottish giants, though, after it was confirmed that Carl Starfelt has left the club to join Spanish outfit Celta Vigo on a permanent basis.

It was recently reported that the Bhoys have made an offer within the region of £2.9m for Elfsborg central defender Gustaf Lagerbielke, who could be a replacement for his compatriot.

How good is Gustaf Lagerbielke?

The 23-year-old titan's form in his home country over the last 18 months suggests that he has the potential to be an excellent defender for Rodgers and could be a dream partner for Nawrocki at the back.

Cameron Carter-Vickers is at least two years older than both of them and has been linked with Premier League interest this year, which could make Lagerbielke and Nawrocki the long-term central defensive pairing for the Hoops moving forward.

The £2.9m-rated centre-back, whose passing was hailed as "impressive" by journalist Ryan McGinlay, is a strong enforcer who is able to dominate opposition forwards and produce consistently brilliant performances at the back.

He has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.20 across 15 Allsvenskan appearances in 2023 and caught the eye with 2.2 tackles and interceptions per game and a duel success rate of 62%.

In 2022, the 6 foot 3 titan averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.20 over 20 league outings and he made 3.2 tackles and interceptions per match, whilst the talented gem also came out on top in 64% of his individual battles.

Meanwhile, no current Celtic defender managed a score higher than 7.20 or produced more than 2.1 tackles and interceptions per clash in the Scottish Premiership last term.

These statistics suggest that Lagerbielke has the potential to be an outstanding performer at the back for Rodgers if he is able to translate his form from Sweden over to Scotland this season due to his ability to deliver a high standard of performance week-in-week-out.

He could, therefore, be a dream partner for Nawrocki as the Polish battler would have an excellent centre-back to play alongside, after his own impressive debut for the Hoops.

The 22-year-old ace recorded a Sofascore rating of 7.20 in the 4-2 win over Ross County on the opening day of the season last weekend. As per Sofascore, the former Legia Warsaw star won 100% (2/2) of his ground duels and made three tackles and interceptions combined, whilst the towering colossus also completed 93% of his attempted passes – including ten of his 11 long passes.

Nawrocki, who won 61% of his aerial duels in the Polish top-flight last term, was able to hit the ground running with an excellent performance at the back, on and off the ball, and he could form an exceptional partnership with Lagerbielke if they are able to bring the Swedish brute to Parkhead.

Jeet Raval, Colin Munro and Tim Seifert offered the only resistance for New Zealand A in the pink-ball day game

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Sep-2017Shardul Thakur bundled out the top order•AFPColin Munro and Tim Seifert’s middle-order resistance propelled New Zealand A to 211, despite the clusters of wickets that fell in their innings on the first day of the second unofficial Test in Vijayawada. The match is being played with a pink ball and is a day game. Shardul Thakur bundled out the top order, while spinners Karn Sharma and Shahbaz Nadeem, who bowled India A to victory in the first unofficial Test, ensured New Zealand A went from 127 for 4 to 211.Munro made 65 off 82 balls, while Seifert’s 44 not out hauled New Zealand past 200 after they had slid to 161 for 8. Before their efforts, opener Jeet Raval had given his side a push with 48, in a bid to overcome the poor start. Opening batsman George Worker and captain Henry Nicholls were dismissed by Thakur within three balls in the seventh over and by the 16th over, New Zealand A were reeling at 34 for 3.India A, who began playing close to stumps, lost opener R Samarth for a duck to pace bowler Seth Rance off the fourth ball of their innings. Shreyas Iyer, the centurion in the first game, and Priyank Panchal, were unbeaten at close of play and will resume from scores of 18 and 14 respectively on the second day.

Chelsea have tabled a "formal bid" in the hope of signing Brighton and Hove Albion goalkeeper Robert Sanchez this summer, according to reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Is Robert Sanchez leaving Brighton?

The Spain international is an academy graduate of the south coast side having carried out two loan spells at Forest Green and Rochdale only to return to get promoted to their first-team back in 2020, and during his three years in the senior fold, he’s gone on to become a regular feature.

In the Premier League last season, Roberto De Zerbi’s shot-stopper started 23 games having spent the final five top-flight matches on the sidelines through injury, and having established himself as the club’s official number one between the sticks, Todd Boehly has had his eye on him for quite some time at Stamford Bridge.

Read The Latest Chelsea Transfer News HERE…

Speaking to GiveMeSport in January, Simon Phillips, who is a reporter for the Blues, revealed that the 25-year-old was a keeper that was “high up on the list” of targets in the capital and it’s believed that chiefs were “taking a closer look” at him alongside Brentford’s David Raya, but obviously a deal failed to come to fruition at the time.

However, if the following update is to be believed, The Amex outfit are now looking to sanction a permanent exit for their first-choice which could give Mauricio Pochettino the perfect opportunity to take a second bite at the cherry and secure the club’s long-term focus, even though he still has two years remaining on his contract.

Are Chelsea signing Robert Sanchez?

Taking to Twitter, Romano revealed that Chelsea have made an opening offer for Sanchez and are in discussions with Brighton regarding a summer deal, whilst also delivering an update on their pursuit of his defensive midfield teammate Moises Caicedo. He wrote:

"Chelsea have sent formal bid for Robert Sanchez to Brighton. Negotiations are ongoing — told Sanchez has already accepted Chelsea as destination. #BHAFC Brighton hope for Sanchez to leave this summer. Chelsea and Brighton remain in talks also for Moises Caicedo."

How many clean sheets has Robert Sanchez kept?

In the 2022/23 Premier League season, Sanchez kept six clean sheets from 23 top-flight games which is a decent return having shared the gloves with Brighton’s number two Jason Steele, and Chelsea are clearly serious about signing him to make an official approach, so should they be successful in their attempt, it would be a huge boost for Pochettino.

The Seagulls’ 6 foot 6 “monster”, as dubbed by former manager Graham Potter, made 47 saves from 71 shots on target against during the previous campaign, giving him a success rate of 64.8%, via FBRef, which was higher than Edouard Mendy’s 64.1%, showing he’d be an upgrade on the goalkeeper who recently joined Al-Ahli.

Sanchez, who pockets £25k-per-week, won’t assume that he’d become number one straight away if he was to put pen to paper, but there’s no doubt that he’d be the perfect candidate to challenge Kepa for his spot heading into the start of the new campaign.

Everton will need to continue to strengthen this summer after narrowly avoiding relegation from the Premier League last term, and Leicester City's Kelechi Iheanacho has been earmarked to bolster the attacking ranks.

What's the latest on Everton's move for Kelechi Iheanacho?

That's according to former editor-turned-scout Ignazio Genuardi, the Toffees are "active" on the case of the Nigerian striker after missing out on Almeria's El Bilal Toure, who is closing on a move to Atalanta.

Sean Dyche has already wrapped up moves for Ashley Young on a free transfer and Arnaut Danjuma on loan, and Iheanacho, who boasts a wealth of Premier League experience, could be another shrewd investment given his availability for just £10-15m following the Foxes' relegation.

Leeds United dynamo Wilfried Gnonto is also attracting attention, but the Whites have seemingly "closed the door" on his departure as they look to keep their most coveted attacking prospect tethered to Elland Road after relegation to the Championship.

Could Everton sign Kelechi Iheanacho?

Immediately, Iheanacho would offer something different for the Merseyside outfit in attack after a season that yielded fewer goals in the top-flight than all but Wolverhampton Wanderers, with the 26-year-old having scored eight goals and supplied five assists from just 13 starting appearances across all competitions.

Primarily a centre-forward, Iheanacho also finds success on the right wing, utilising his natural inclination to strike with his left foot to swerve in-field and bypass the opposing net, while also maintaining a creative flair that will no doubt have left Dyche eager to further negotiations.

Indeed, as per FBref, the £90k-per-week ace ranks among the top 2% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 9% for shot-creating actions, the top 13% for progressive carries and the top 9% for successful take-ons per 90, which illustrates his dynamism and aptitude as a driving force, which strengthens the argument that he could find success marauding up the Goodison Park right flank.

While some may view him as an alternative to talisman Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who has been decimated by injury issues over the past two seasons and missed 30 matches, Iheancho's arrival could actually be the genesis of a slick new strike partnership.

Calvert-Lewin, also aged 26, is an imposing 6 foot 2 menace who ranks among the top 8% of positional peers for aerials won per 90, and his most fruitful fortunes are found through his expertise in serving as a focal point in the attacking box and a conduit through which his squad's flow can be channelled.

Deploying Iheanacho's versatility beside him could prove to be the formula for success under Dyche's leadership, creating a dynamic balance to avoid the team stagnating.

Once praised as a "special talent" by pundit David Cottee, the 45-cap Nigerian could pay dividends for the Blues with his electric pace, direct and variegated approach when it comes to his attacking intent, and Premier League experience with both Leicester and Manchester City, having chalked up 70 direct contributions from 196 total appearances in the English top-flight.

And with Calvert-Lewin hoping to get back to his best to spearhead a desired resurgence, Iheanacho would be the perfect choice to ensure that the misfortune that has stained Goodison Park across recent years is irrevocably expunged.